Posted this on another board also but I thought some of you chaps might like a read
Once again I was in need of a new driver and for the first time in a while it wasn’t me blaming my bad mechanics and going into a hissy fit about it. My current driver has a large crack a long the top line and is no longer produced. Technique has held me back in terms of golfing ability and the ability to find a driver that suits me.
My current driver is/was a Cobra hs9-x speed 9* with graphite design Pershing 65s. I like the hs9 head quite a lot but the problem with it was the x head only came in a 9* head so there wasn’t much room to be choosy. Feels solid, makes a loud noise. The first one I had was christened the "Aluminum Bat” And for me it hit the ball reasonably straight and a good distance. The ball feels like it gets compressed off the face which means a quite responsive driver for me. The shaft was an experiment that worked out ok. I have always liked the feel of a shaft that is stiffer in the butt section and the Pershing gave me that feeling. I also like a club with a deeper face to combat the spin issues and a better look at address (for me)
So about me and my swing.
Height: 6, 4"
Weight: Not applicable
let’s say large frame for the hell of it!
Handicap: I've been a pro for almost three years (Just finished PGA training) which should mean I am a scratch golfer. Unfortunately in the golf industry the longer you work in it, the less golf you play. I play and practice infrequently and my golf pays for it. I would suggest I would be a 4 handicapper in the realms of honesty with the odd low round thrown in.
Swing Tendencies: Steep. Generally long and a little languid with good rhythm. I tend to gain height in the backswing which requires a dip in the downswing (nice combo there) I will generally lack width but still generate some power. I have previously suffered from a negative angle of attack with the driver causing low launch and very high spin. I have worked on this a little more. Most of the time a high fades with a pull hook thrown in for good measure which I find playable most of the time. The other bad shot which is a little rarer is a steep slice/cut, mainly caused by getting ahead of everything
So I had booked a fitting session with Titleist/Cobra for a few reasons. Primarily their range of drivers and secondly we are a heavy Acushnet stockist where I work. The fitting centre for the southeast is in Cambridge just north of London. It resides at Brampton park golf club. Never played the course so not sure what its like. Nice long range with a purpose built part of the range for fittings to take place. Brampton is only 15 minutes from the Acushnet factory/warehouse so the fitting staff come straight from there.
After a warm up I walked out and round the range to the fitting area. It’s like walking into a Titleist/Cobra sweet shop. Bags and bags of drivers, irons, fairways and hybrids. Two rather impressive monitors in the middle of the area (range mat either side) also a few putters in their store room.
Paul the club fitter was more than helpful and polite, very knowledgeable man and helped me every step of the fitting. Their monitors are quite advanced and probably not far from trackman spec (what do I know though!) I was told previously they are specially made for Acushnet and to be honest look like nothing I have seen before.
So,
Paul wanted to get some info from me regarding what I like in a club. Look, feel, shaft preferences etc. After these bits we went on to hitting some balls. The good thing about this centre is that you can use your Titleist ball of choice, Prov1x for me.
Started off with my current driver, ye olde faithful
Hit about ten balls with the hs9-x, it was one of those days where I was swinging reasonably well so got a good amount of data from it. Ball striking pattern was centre towards heel and shot shape was a slight pull cutting back towards the target. This would account for a lowish smash factor I would think.
Average numbers:
Clubhead speed: 107mph
Ball speed: 157mph
Launch: 13.5*
Spin: 3600rpm
AOA: +1.2 (this bit surprised me)
The angle of attack was actually positive!!!!!!! So the changes I had made in the swing were making a difference. Before hand I had been in the -1.5 to -.5 in angle of attack so this was a pleasant surprise. Launch angle was up almost 4 degrees compared to previous fittings with the stepper technique. Shame this driver was cracked as I would have just put a mega low spin shaft and been happy as a pig in you know what
We had decided from my preferences that the speed pro D would be the head of choice for me. I had intentions of trying the L4V but after three swings with one I felt a little under whelmed, only because it felt like I was creating more drag than Rupaul in the swing.
The speed pro s and 907d2 simply felt too shallow and looked too big from address. I actually owned a speed pro D last year but it didn’t make a great bit of difference with the steeper angle of attack that I had previously owned. I could have hit one of Jack Hamm’s drivers without gaining those extra thirty yards. POW!
So we started hitting various speed pro D loft and shaft combos. From memory I tried:
9.5 vs proto 65-s
9.5 stock speeder stiff
8.5 v 75 stiff
9.5 pro launch red stiff
8.5 ys6-stiff
These drivers all gave different results. None of which were fantastically better than what I had had. Launch may have crept up or down a degree but spin was still not getting below 3200rpm. I know what you’re thinking. I must need an ozik or I am surely leaving performance on the table
We were looking at some other shafts just for feel and spin factors in the 907D2 range. These were
Diamana 73-s (blueboard)
Speeder 757-s
Still nothing spectacular was occurring. It felt like I was going to have my name put in the “unfittable column” once again but then we had a breakthrough.
I have never hit more than 5 shots with an x-flex shaft. Every time I have it just felt odd and went straight right. Just overpowering me although the last time was 2-3 years ago. I thought to myself “why not?” I’m there for a fitting and need a driver. It can’t do me any harm. Started off with a 907d2 with a diamana 73x blue board. First few swipes with this shaft didn’t feel too bad. Could have been that it was a softer for Titleist version im not sure but it seem to be responsive enough. And the spin rate dropped to just under 3000 which was what we were after.
Paul also found to speed pro D heads with x flex shafts. One in 8.5 with a prolaunch red and the other 9.5 with a v2 75. The v2 shaft felt good but the numbers were still a little high in the spin column (around 3000 again)
The 8.5 with prolaunch red was however much more pleasing. Average numbers were:
Clubhead speed: 107mph
Ball speed: 158mph
Launch angle: 13
Spin: 2900rpm
AOA: +1.0
Ok so in a perfect world the spin would still be a little high and the launch a little low (I would presume) however this has been the closest fit to an optimum driver I have ever had. We decided this was the driver for me but Paul (the fitter) suggested I try and hit a few draws with the club to see if we can lower the spin rate. After a few swipes (including the customary block when I try to draw it normally) the spin numbers were down towards 2750rpm and launch was ½ a degree lower on average. This was pleasing and he even suggested trying a couple of other low spin shafts that Acushnet wont put in cobras once I get the driver such as the pershing 65-x (just discontinued from the custom program last month)
So to evaluate, new driver which was ordered yesterday is:
Cobra speed pro D
8.5
Grafalloy prolaunch red x flex
45”
Tour velvet + 2 layers.
I have gone for a thinner grip than normal to help with drawing the ball. I normally play 4 maybe 5 layers on everything else.
Im looking forward to this club arriving and will give it a full test run and review
I also hit my three wood as I felt that I wasn’t getting the most out of it. A spin rate of almost 5600rpm confirmed this!!!!! So will start a new thread about a shaft search for that!
I’d highly recommend southern England guys doing this. They also offer a service of having your clubs built on the day and collecting them an hour later from the factory which I think is great. You then go and pay from them at your local pro shop who arranged the fitting. The fitting costs £20 for amateurs but I would say it is well worth that and more. The fitting staff are brilliant and there is not a single obligation to buy from them. Acushnet are also opening a centre like this in Scotland shortly so look out for that northern boys. Thanks for reading if you have got this far!
Ben
